Abreu
Staff members portray the Abreu family in 1910 as they lived on this homestead. The Abreu family has lived in northern New Mexico since the 1700s and purchased this ranch from Lucien Maxwell. Learn what life on a New Mexican homestead was like and try your hand at various the various tasks and skills needed to thrive.
Program Theme: Abreu Family Homestead
Time Period Portrayed: 1910
Potential Activities: Adobe Brick-making, Animal Husbandry, Cabin/House Tour, Fiber Arts, Fishing (self-guided), Food/Cooking Demos
Other Features: Abreu Family Dinner
Apache Springs
Discover the Jicarilla Apache way of life at Apache Springs! The Jicarilla called this area home through the mid-1800s, and crews can explore the customs, traditions, and culture of these amazing people from knowledgeable staff alongside a variety of archery programs.
Program Theme: Jicarilla Apache Ethnology
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: 3D Archery, Aerial Archery, Flint Knapping, Sweat Lodge, Sunset Hike
Other Features: Commissary
Baldy Town
This mining town was founded in the late 1860s to serve the goldminers and prospectors on Baldy Mountain. Explore the museum to learn about the famous Aztec-Ponil mine and stamp-mill and what life was like in this gold town. Prepare to summit Baldy Mountain and discover the unique geology of this place.
Program Theme: Baldy Mining District
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Assaying, Geology, Gold Panning, Mining History
Other Features: Commissary, Showers, Trading Post
Beaubien
Step into the heart of life on a ranch at the hub of the South Country! Beaubien boasts one of the largest meadows at Philmont so enjoy the sweeping views and stunning stars once the sun sets. Crews can learn about ranching in this area and enjoy a rousing campfire show each evening.
Program Theme: High Mountain Ranching
Time Period Portrayed: 1875
Potential Activities: Branding, Horse Rides, Roping
Other Features: Campfire Show, Chapel Service (weekly), Chuckwagon Dinner, Showers
Black Mountain
Discover the life of settlers labeled as “squatters” by the Maxwell Land Grant & Railway Company as they navigate the challenges at the onset of the Colfax County War.
Black Mountain is one of the oldest staffed camps on Philmont property, the main cabin was constructed in the 1890s by a pair of brothers looking for gold in the North Fork Urraca. This camp is one of the most remote at Philmont so prepare for an unforgettable experience.
Program Theme: Black Mountain Encampment
Time Period Portrayed: 1875
Potential Activities: Animal Husbandry, Blacksmithing, Muzzleloader Shooting
Other Features: Remote camp (limited services)
Cimarroncita
Formerly a girls’ camp from 1931 to 1995, Cimarroncita was acquired by Philmont in 2015. Located at the edge of the 2018 Ute Park Fire Recovery Zone, it opened in 2021 and serves as a starting point for crews hiking into Central Country. Treks can learn about fire ecology and test their archery skills.
Program Theme: Fire Ecology & Wildlife Conservation
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: 3D Archery, Field Archery, Fire Ecology Program
Other Features: N/A
Cimarroncito
One of three climbing camps, Cimarroncito is located in Philmont’s Central Country. Crews can learn climbing and rappelling skills and see the beautiful ecology of the Fire Recovery Zone.
Program Theme: Rock Climbing
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Bouldering Gym, Rappelling, Rock Climbing
Other Features: Chapel Service (weekly), Showers
Clarks Fork
Experience ranching in the 1960s at Clarks Fork. Staff demonstrate life as a cowboy in these parts and crews can hone their skills in various ranching activities learned by Scouts when this camp opened in 1962. Learn about the various brands used across Philmont and potentially get your items branded! End the evening with a fun campfire show.
Program Theme: Western Lore
Time Period Portrayed: 1962
Potential Activities: Branding, Cowboy Action Shooting, Roping
Other Features: Chuckwagon Dinner, Campfire Show, Showers
Clear Creek
Step back in time to when early fur trappers roamed the Sangre de Cristo mountains looking for coveted beaver furs in the early 1830s following Mexico’s independence from Spain. Learn what the daily life of a trapper was like and some of the skills they needed to survive in the wilderness far from civilization. Standing at 10,400 ft and located at the foot of the beautiful Mt. Phillips, Clear Creek is sure to be an unforgettable stop for any passing crew.
Program Theme: Taos Trappers
Time Period Portrayed: 1831
Potential Activities: Cabin/House Tour, Muzzleloader Shooting, Tomahawk Throwing
Other Features: N/A
COPE Course at Rocky Mountain Scout Camp
Elevate your crew’s experience to the next level at Philmont’s high COPE course. The high COPE experience will encourage your crew to build upon the teamwork they’ve developed up to this point and allow crew members to challenge themselves individually with support from their peers while overcoming obstacles high in the air.
Program Theme: High COPE & Climbing Tower
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: High Ropes Course, Climbing Tower
Other Features: N/A
Crater Lake
Discover the lives of loggers at the southern branch of the Continental Tie & Lumber company. Staff portray life in a logging camp during the Great War and visiting treks are brought on as green loggers-in-training. Discover if you have the skills to succeed in the various jobs these men and women performed on a daily basis.
Program Theme: Continental Tie & Lumber Company
Time Period Portrayed: 1918
Potential Activities: Crosscut Saw & Tie Making, Spar Pole Climbing
Other Features: Campfire Show
Crooked Creek
Learn what life is like on a remote homestead in the mid 1800s. Staff dressed in period clothing teach the various skills necessary for living so far from the nearest town. Lend a hand with daily chores and special projects the staff are working on. Keep an eye out for cows throughout the season!
Program Theme: Pioneer Homestead
Time Period Portrayed: 1866
Potential Activities: Animal Husbandry, Cabin/House Tour, Fiber Arts, Food/Cooking Demos
Other Features: N/A
Cyphers Mine
There’s gold in these hills! Join the miners who worked for Charlie Cypher during the early 1900s and learn what the search for gold entailed. Discover the rich history of the Cimarroncito Mining District and get ready to join in at the Stomp show!
Program Theme: St. Louis & Cimarron Mining Company
Time Period Portrayed: 1908
Potential Activities: Blacksmithing, Geology, Gold Panning, Mine Tour, Mining History
Other Features: Campfire Show
Dan Beard
Named after one of the original National Scout Commissioners and a founder of Scouting in America, Daniel Carter Beard, this camp offers crews the chance to participate in COPE challenges. Test your cooperation and teamwork skills to accomplish your goals.
Program Theme: Challenge Course
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Initiative Games, Low Challenge Course
Other Features: N/A
Dean Cow
Newly reopened for the 2025 season, Dean Cow is located in the 2018 Ute Park burn scar. Crews have the opportunity to learn about rock climbing and rappelling before testing their skills.
Program Theme: Rock Climbing
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Rappelling, Rock Climbing
Other Features: N/A
Fish Camp
This camp is temporarily being treated as a trail camp location until restoration of the historic Rayado Lodge and surrounding facilities is completed. There are no backcountry staff at this location and any staff present are focused on renovation work. Participants should not approach or enter any facilities under construction and treat this as a trail camp without any staff services. We look forward to this camp returning as a living history backcountry camp in the near future.
Program Theme: Phillips Family Fishing Retreat
Time Period Portrayed: 1926
Potential Activities: None
Other Features: Historic Cabin Under Renovation – NO SERVICES
French Henry
Named after Henry Buruel who discovered the mine in 1869, French Henry is the site of one of the gold mines in the beautiful Baldy Country. Learn about the rich mining history of this area from staff portraying miners in the early 1900s. Gold can still be found in the creek running through camp!
Program Theme: Claude Mining & Milling Company
Time Period Portrayed: 1894
Potential Activities: Blacksmithing, Geology, Gold Panning, Mining History
Other Features: N/A
Harlan
Harlan is located in the Ute Park Fire Recovery Zone and reopened in 2024 after a six-year closure thanks to support from the NRA Foundation. Crews have the unique opportunity to reload shotgun shells and use those shells to break clays down at the range. Enjoy this wonderful camp with its unique program and the distinct ecology of the Ute Park Fire Recovery Zone.
Program Theme: Shotgun Shooting & Shotshell Reloading
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Shotshell Reloading, Shotgun Shooting
Other Features: N/A
Supported by The NRA Foundation
Head of Dean
Work together as a crew to complete staff-led COPE activities. Learn the strength of teamwork and the satisfaction of overcoming challenges. Reflect on all you have learned while enjoying one of the prettiest sunsets in the North Country.
Program Theme: Challenge Course
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Initiative Games, Challenge Course
Other Features: Sunset Hike
Indian Writings
Ancient petroglyphs and recovered artifacts give a peek into the Ancestral Puebloan culture that inhabited this region long ago. Talk with staff and visiting archeologists to learn more about the people who lived here before the pioneers arrived.
Program Theme: Ancestral Puebloan Archaeology
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Archaeological Dig, Atlatl (spear) Throwing, Museum Tour, Petroglyph Tour
Other Features: Showers, Sunset Hike
Metcalf Station
Discover the Pride and Glory of the North Ponil branch of the Cimarron & Northwestern Railway at Metcalf Station. Echos of laying track and blacksmith hammers will take you back to the days when the railroad ran through this canyon. Learn about what it takes to build the rail and enjoy a toe tapping evening show!
Program Theme: Cimarron & Northwestern Railway
Time Period Portrayed: 1915
Potential Activities: Blacksmithing, Museum Tour, Pump Car Rides, Railroad Construction
Other Features: Campfire Show
Miners Park
Climbing is the name of the game at Miners Park. Crews have the opportunity to test what they learn at various rock-climbing routes. Bring your water and lace up your shoes to take on the beauty of Philmont’s geology.
Program Theme: Rock Climbing
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Bouldering Gym, Climbing Wall, Crate Stacking, Rappelling, Rock Climbing
Other Features: Commissary, Showers
Miranda
Meet traders from Bent’s Fort who have traveled south into the Sangre de Cristo range in the 1830s in search of bison hides. Fur trappers were among the first Europeans to explore this area, and the beaver fur trade served as an important first step into opening the west up to later settlement. Changes in fashion and over-trapping forced beaver trappers to turn to trading for buffalo hides to support themselves. Learn how these pioneers lived and, if you are lucky, they might even share some tales of their adventures!
Program Theme: Bent, St. Vrain & Company
Time Period Portrayed: 1839
Potential Activities: Fur Trapper Rendezvous, Muzzleloader Shooting, Tomahawk Throwing
Other Features: Burro Pens
Phillips Junction
Phillips Junction, affectionately called PJ, serves as an important stop for many crews traversing the South Country. Constructed in 1974 as a commissary camp, crews can also visit the trading post to stock up on necessities and backcountry souvenirs. Staff may even have special fun opportunities for crews passing through!
Program Theme: Resupply
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Fishing (self-guided)
Other Features: Commissary, Showerhouse, Trading Post
Ponil
The Wild West beckons at Ponil. From 1938 to 1941, Ponil served as Base Camp for Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp due to its location at the intersection of several canyons. While Ponil no longer serves as Philmont’s base camp today, it is still one of the major hubs of the Philmont North Country. Learn about western lore and grab a cold root beer at the Cantina!
Program Theme: Philturn Five Points Camp
Time Period Portrayed: 1944
Potential Activities: Branding, Horse Rides, Roping
Other Features: Burro Pens, Cantina, Chapel Service (weekly), Chuckwagon Dinner, Showers, Trading Post
Pueblano
The Continental Tie and Lumber Company logged these canyons from the 1870s through the mid 1900s. Staff portray life in a logging camp during the Great War and visiting treks are brought on as green loggers-in-training. Discover if you have the skills to succeed in the various jobs these men and women performed on a daily basis.
Program Theme: Continental Tie & Lumber Company
Time Period Portrayed: 1915
Potential Activities: Crosscut & Tie Making, Spar Pole Climbing
Other Features: Campfire Show
Rayado
Come visit this small village along the Santa Fe Trail which was the first permanent settlement in Colfax County founded by Lucien Maxwell in 1848, following the Mexican-American War. Here Maxwell persuaded his friend Kit Carson to help provide security in 1849 and a detachment of US Army Dragoons was based at Rayado the following year. In 1950, Scouting America built an adobe museum at Rayado to serve as an interpretive area to portray its history and recount the exploits of Maxwell and Carson. Visit the museum and take part in crafts like blacksmithing, cooking, shooting, and farming.
Program Theme: Rayado Rancho
Time Period Portrayed: 1851
Potential Activities: Blacksmithing, Chicken Tending, Museum Tours
Other Features: Trading Post
Ring Place
Located in the beautiful Valle Vidal, Ring Place was home to Timothy Ring and his family from 1897 to 1906. Many of the existing buildings are original to the Ring homestead. This site is located far away from civilization with beautiful views of the night sky. When the skies are clear, enjoy the view of the stars as staff teach you about the various constellations. They can also share with you the connection Philmont has to early space exploration and the Apollo program. Keep an eye out for shooting stars!
Program Theme: Astronomy & Space Science
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Astronomy, Space Exploration, Sunspot Viewing
Other Features: Commissary, Low Impact Camp (Valle Vidal)
Sawmill
Marksmanship is the name of the game at Sawmill. Crews learn the fundamentals of shooting and reloading cartridges for 30.06 rifles. A lesser-known perk of staying the night at Sawmill is watching the beautiful sunrise over the prairie from the porch.
Program Theme: Rifle Shooting & Cartridge Reloading
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Cartridge Reloading, Rifle Shooting
Other Features: N/A
Urraca
Located atop the impressive Urraca Mesa, crews have the opportunity to test themselves in staff-led COPE challenges. Early risers can take in the beautiful sunrise and daring scouts might just hear a ghost tale or two. Be sure to keep an eye out for many different types of wildlife, including the magpie after which the mesa is named.
Program Theme: Challenge Course
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Initiative Games, Challenge Course
Other Features: Sunrise Hike
Ute Gulch
Reopened as of the 2025 season, Ute Gulch serves as a commissary/food pickup for crews traveling through the 2018 Ute Park burn scar. Challenge your crew as you hike through the Ute Park Fire Recovery Zone.
Program Theme: Resupply
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: N/A
Other Features: Commissary, Trading Post
Whiteman Vega
Located in the Valle Vidal, crews have the opportunity to experience mountain biking on the trails around Whiteman Vega. Enjoy the challenge of low-impact camping and enjoy this unique area.
Program Theme: Mountain Biking
Time Period Portrayed: Modern
Potential Activities: Bike Maintenance, Mountain Biking
Other Features: Low Impact Camp (Valle Vidal)